That Was Then

38-Now

In the morning I dress in support of the football team, one player in particular. I wear black leggings with mesh panels in the calves, a white tank top and a soft orange sweater I had ordered online because I didn't own anything orange. My socks are white and I put black laces in my white sneakers. Even my bra and underwear match, though I doubt anyone would be finding out. I french braid my long hair off to the side and use a white hair tie and snap the clasp on my charm bracelet. Petra always teases me about this, everything has to match, even my underwear.

In the kitchen Mama is drinking a cup of coffee while scrolling through her phone and Caleb is lingering around the coffee pot even though he doesn't drink coffee. But I do. He winks at me and I smile and feel an obnoxious blush creeping up my neck.

"Morning," he grins and hands me a deep blue travel mug, his fingers brushing mine. I mumble something back that sounds a little bit like 'good morning.' "I was thinking, we could ride to school together... I don't have practice and have to come home after school before the game?" I am vaguely aware of Mama watching us over her coffee, I try to play it cool.

"Sure," I say nonchalantly and turn away from them both, busying myself with the coffee pot.

"Cool, see you out front in ten," he says before disappearing.

"Blakely..." Mama's voice is teasing, prying. She says so many things with just one word.

"Hmmm?" I ask, back still to her so she can't see my face. I press my lips together and finally turn to face her, eyes wide in an attempt to portray innocence.

"I hope you have no intentions of pursuing a career in acting," she chides.  Abuela walks in with a basket of kitchen towels that smell fresh from the dryer. Mama sets down her coffee and they begin to fold them together. "Abuela, I think my daughter has a crush on your grandson."

"I think the feeling is mutual. I also think we have raised two trustworthy and responsible young adults that will make good choices that demonstrate respect to both themselves and to us. Particularly while we are all living under the same roof," Abuela stares at me with the same no nonsense, scolding look I used to get when I was misbehaving as a child. I take a drink of too hot coffee and swallow hard.

"I have no idea what you two are talking about," I lie and exit stage left. In Caleb's truck with Abuela's words fresh in my mind, I sit flush against the passenger's door. Caleb eyes me with amusement and then reaches across the cab of the truck for me.

"Why are you so far away?" He teases, pretending not to be able to reach me before grabbing onto my arm and hauling me closer. I nervously eye the house, wondering if Mama and Abuela are watching from the window. "What is it?" He laughs.

"You threw me to the wolves in there!" I pout. "They know!" He just laughs and presses his mouth to mine. "Stoppit!! What if they're watching?!" I swat at him.

"You just said that they know, so what's the problem?" He puts the truck in drive and we're off to school.

We make our way to our first class together, we're not holding hands or anything but there's an intimacy in the way he walks next to me. Our shoulders bump and hands brush against one another. I sit next to Vivi who is deep in what appears to be a very intimate conversation with Aiden. They look at one another like they're the only ones in the room. Vivi is wearing one of Aiden's jerseys and I can't help but feel a tiny bit jealous. All of the football players' girlfriends wear their jerseys on game days except the cheerleaders who wear their own uniforms. Why didn't Caleb ask me to wear his? I haven't had much experience in the boyfriend department so I'm not really sure how all of this works. I think it was obvious that there was something there since I got back and I definitely wanted him to kiss me but I'm not sure what it means. Clearly, we aren't at the point where he marks his territory by asking me to wear his jersey yet.

In our next class Vivi tells me all about how Aiden asked to pick her up for school that morning. He brought her coffee and asked if she would be his girlfriend and then asked her to wear his jersey. It all sounded kind of romantic, or at least as romantic as it gets in high school. And so much more intentional than most high school relationships seem. It definitely put my dishwasher kiss to shame. I wasn't sure if I should even tell her but she asks what is up with Caleb and me. My cheeks burn while I tell her what happened and even tell her about Abuela's warning.

"I can't decide if living in the same house would be awkward or amazing!" Vivi ponders.

"Both," I assure her.

Kya pays special attention to Caleb and me at lunch. While we've been flirty in the past, we usually don't sit next to each other and we've clearly surpassed flirting.

"Why does she keep watching us?" I hiss at him after around the tenth time I catch her staring, one eyebrow raised, mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Why do you care?" He teases. He and Aiden talk football for the rest of lunch, pumping themselves up for their game. After the game there is supposed to be a party at Kya's. Allie tries bringing up the party a few times and Kya avoids her questions and then snaps at her when she doesn't let it go. Kya whispers furiously to Seth and he just shrugs. I assume that it's because she doesn't want me knowing about the party but I already do. And I have no intention of going. I excuse myself from the table to go get a lemonade and to take a break from Kya's scrutiny.

"Hurry up!" I hear after having a stare down with the machine. I nearly jump out of my skin. I didn't see Tatum behind me.

"Oh, sorry!" I push the button and am rewarded with my drink. When we make it back to the table Allie is visibly upset talking with Eden, Marley and Kya.

"What's wrong?" Tatum asks, almost accusingly. She glances between Marley and Kya because surely it wasn't Eden that upset her.

"I was just talking about my makeup vlog.." Allie pouts.

"Oh..." Tatum clearly already knows what is so upsetting about this but I don't. I give Allie a questioning look.

"I have some advertisers interested in paying me to advertise on my TikTok but only if I get like a few thousand more viewers by the end of this month and I'm not sure how to get them." Allie's makeup tutorials on TikTok and youtube have made her a minor celebrity, I am pretty sure her followers number in the hundreds of thousands.

"We were just helping her come up with ideas," Kya twists her lips at me into her trademark smirk, as if to tell me they've got it covered and to mind my own business. But Allie is my friend too, I want to help her. Especially if I can be more helpful than Kya.

"We are doing a photo shoot for the Kita line next weekend," I say and watch Allie's face light up. "I'm sure my mom wouldn't mind if you came along!"

"Allie does makeup, not clothes," Kya scowls deeply.

"I happen to love both thank you very much, and at fashion shoots they have makeup artists!" Allie tells Kya and I have to stifle a triumphant grin.

"The guy my mom usually uses for Kita ads is amazing, you're going to love him!" I promise Allie while trying to ignore the daggers that Kya shoots at me.